Written Answers Wednesday 19 November 2008

Scottish Executive

Alcohol

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16814 by Kenny MacAskill on 21 October 2008, whether it intends to take action to increase the number of test purchases of alcohol in on-sales premises.

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16814 by Kenny MacAskill on 21 October 2008, whether it intends to take action to increase the overall number of test purchases of alcohol.

Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-17759 on 18 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Alcohol Misuse

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many alcohol-related offences there were in the Lothians region in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area and type of crime or offence.

Kenny MacAskill: The following tables gives the total number of alcohol-related offences recorded in the Lothians region in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area and crime/offence group.

  

 Description of Crime/Offence
 2003-04


 City of Edinburgh
 East Lothian
 Midlothian
 West Lothian
 Total


 Non-Sexual Crimes of Violence:
 
 
 
 
 


 Death by careless driving when under influence of drink or drugs
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Miscellaneous Offences:
 
 
 
 
 


 Drunkenness
 222
 6
 14
 102
 344


 Offences by Licensed Persons
 12
 0
 6
 1
 19


 Other Offences Against Liquor Licensing Laws
 9
 1
 3
 10
 23


 Consumption of alcohol in designated places, byelaws prohibited
 1
 2
 7
 100
 110


 Drunk when riding a bicycle
 3
 0
 0
 0
 3


 Motor Vehicle Offences:
 
 
 
 
 


 Drunk driving
 767
 143
 190
 349
 1,449


 Total
 1,014
 152
 220
 562
 1,948



  

 Description of Crime/Offence
 2004-05


 City of Edinburgh
 East Lothian
 Midlothian
 West Lothian
 Total


 Non-Sexual Crimes of Violence:
 
 
 
 
 


 Death by careless driving when under influence of drink or drugs
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Miscellaneous Offences:
 
 
 
 
 


 Drunkenness
 151
 4
 23
 57
 235


 Offences by Licensed Persons
 9
 0
 10
 3
 22


 Other Offences Against Liquor Licensing Laws
 7
 0
 8
 8
 23


 Consumption of alcohol in designated places, byelaws prohibited
 0
 6
 21
 166
 193


 Drunk when riding a bicycle
 4
 1
 1
 0
 6


 Motor Vehicle Offences:
 
 
 
 
 


 Drunk driving
 811
 121
 147
 335
 1,414


 Total
 982
 132
 210
 569
 1,893



  

 Description of Crime/Offence
 2005-06


 City of Edinburgh
 East Lothian
 Midlothian
 West Lothian
 Total


 Non-Sexual Crimes of Violence:
 
 
 
 
 


 Death by careless driving when under influence of drink or drugs
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Miscellaneous Offences:
 
 
 
 
 


 Drunkenness
 103
 5
 10
 21
 139


 Offences by Licensed Persons
 39
 5
 15
 2
 61


 Other Offences Against Liquor Licensing Laws
 14
 12
 9
 3
 38


 Consumption of alcohol in designated places, byelaws prohibited
 0
 14
 79
 108
 201


 Drunk when riding a bicycle
 11
 0
 0
 2
 13


 Motor Vehicle Offences:
 
 
 
 
 


 Drunk driving
 887
 147
 140
 366
 1,540


 Total
 1,054
 183
 253
 502
 1,992



  

 Description of Crime/Offence
 2006-07


 City of Edinburgh
 East Lothian
 Midlothian
 West Lothian
 Total


 Non-Sexual Crimes of Violence:
 
 
 
 
 


 Death by careless driving when under influence of drink or drugs
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Miscellaneous Offences:
 
 
 
 
 


 Drunkenness
 150
 8
 15
 14
 187


 Offences by Licensed Persons
 44
 41
 10
 12
 107


 Other Offences Against Liquor Licensing Laws
 39
 33
 17
 14
 103


 Consumption of alcohol in designated places, byelaws prohibited
 1
 72
 57
 90
 220


 Drunk when riding a bicycle
 7
 0
 0
 0
 7


 Motor Vehicle Offences:
 
 
 
 
 


 Drunk driving
 836
 152
 184
 382
 1,554


 Total
 1,077
 306
 283
 512
 2,178



  

 Description of Crime/Offence
 2007-08


 City of Edinburgh
 East Lothian
 Midlothian
 West Lothian
 Total


 Non-Sexual Crimes of Violence:
 
 
 
 
 


 Death by careless driving when under influence of drink or drugs
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Miscellaneous Offences:
 
 
 
 
 


 Drunkenness
 209
 12
 17
 26
 264


 Offences by Licensed Persons
 29
 22
 17
 45
 113


 Other Offences Against Liquor Licensing Laws
 40
 22
 20
 11
 93


 Consumption of alcohol in designated places, byelaws prohibited
 8
 66
 58
 71
 203


 Drunk when riding a bicycle
 6
 0
 0
 0
 6


 Motor Vehicle Offences:
 
 
 
 
 


 Drunk driving
 741
 175
 164
 356
 1,436


 Total
 1,033
 297
 276
 509
 2,115

Central Heating Programme

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a cap, based on geographical area, on the number of central heating installations under the central heating programme.

Stewart Maxwell: There is no cap based on geographical area.

Child Protection

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether personal child health records will be made available to all members of primary health care teams in all circumstances.

Nicola Sturgeon: Whist parents are encouraged to make the Personal Child Health Record available at all health care appointments, including those appointments with primary health care teams, that availability cannot be guaranteed because the Personal Child Health Record is held by parents.

Energy

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding Renewable Energies, Building Technologies and Energy Management Week 2008.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government has not discussed Renewable Energies, Building Technologies and Energy Management week with the UK Government. However, our focus will see us continue to play a full and active role in Sustainable Energy Week, the EU’s key annual event in this area, which takes place in February 2009.

  We will ensure this is considered as part of our on-going discussions with the UK Government on EU energy policy development, where we feed into the UK position taken in the Council, at the Committee of Permanent Representatives, and which is discussed regularly at the Joint Ministerial Committee (Europe), chaired by the Foreign Secretary. The Scottish Government also participates directly in EU cooperation mechanisms such as transnational co-operation and research and development.

Enterprise

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of the Saltire Prize will be in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.

Jim Mather: As the Saltire Prize award was announced within the current spending review period, the £10 million award has to be allocated to a specific period within the spending review. As set out in the budget, the £10 million has been committed to 2010-11.

Enterprise

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of the Horizon Prize will be in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.

Jim Mather: The Horizon Prize is now termed as the Saltire Prize. As the Saltire Prize award was announced within the current spending review period, the £10 million award has to be allocated to a specific period within the spending review. As set out in the budget, the £10 million has been committed to 2010-11.

  In addition to the Saltire Prize, the Saltire Innovation Fund will be used to create an entrepreneurial competition. This programme is currently being developed by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The launch is expected in spring 2009. The value of the fund in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 is £2 million per annum.

Fireworks

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to monitor the effectiveness of the Fireworks (Scotland) Regulations 2004 in reducing incidents involving misuse of fireworks.

Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government receives details of the number of fireworks or bonfire related incidents reported to the police.

Fireworks

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether further measures are being considered to reduce incidents involving misuse of fireworks.

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the effectiveness in Scotland of the UK Fireworks Act 2003 and the Fireworks (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

Fergus Ewing: There was an encouraging reduction of 37.1% in the number of fireworks or bonfire related incidents reported to the police in 2008 during the six weeks around 5 November. This follows a reduction of 26.7% in the previous year. Although there are currently no plans to introduce further measures we will continue to monitor the effectiveness of fireworks regulations.

Fireworks

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of antisocial behaviour involving misuse of fireworks were recorded in each of the last five years for which information is available, broken down by local authority area.

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many antisocial behaviour incidents involving misuse of fireworks there were (a) between 15 October and 10 November and (b) outwith this period, in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Fergus Ewing: Police recorded crime statistics do not include information on the number of incidents of antisocial behaviour involving misuse of fireworks.

  Information is held on the number of antisocial behaviour offences, however it is not possible to determine how many of these offences relate to the misuse of fireworks.

  The Scottish Government receives details of the number of fireworks or bonfire related incidents reported to the police in Scotland in the six weeks around 5 November. They were 4,506 in 2004, 4,865 in 2005, 5,472 in 2006, 4,002 in 2007 and 2,517 in 2008.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-15695 and S3W-15696 by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 September 2008, when the Scottish Health Technologies Group will complete its consultation and when the results will be published.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Health Technology Assessment Report was considered by the Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) on 11 September 2008. The SHTG have requested further work on the potential level of end user demand. If there is sufficient demand, National Procurement will consider including this technology in its programme for next year. The minutes of SHTG meetings are published on its webpage on the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland website.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS Scotland insists that sterile scrubs are used by all clinical staff in hospital wards.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the question S3W-17671 on 18 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what actions it will take to ensure that cases of Clostridium difficile are accurately diagnosed.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS laboratories follow the framework set out in Health Protection Scotland guidance document Guidance on Prevention and Control of Clostridium difficile Associated Disease in Healthcare Settings in Scotland . The guidance is available at:

  http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/haiic/sshaip/guidelinedetail.aspx?id=39295.

  In addition, Health Protection Scotland is working with NHS boards to improve surveillance procedures and reporting systems across all NHS boards, as set out under the surveillance section of our national HAI action plan which was established in response to the recommendations arising from the publication of the Health Protection Scotland Report Review of Clostridium difficile Associated Disease Cases and Mortality in all Acute Hospitals in Scotland from December 2007 - May 2008 and the report of the Independent Review Team Report on the Clostridium difficile Outbreaks at Vale of Leven Hospital.

  The national action plan is available from the HAI Task Force website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/19529/2005/actionplans.

Healthcare Associated Infection

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15574 by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 September 2008, what constitutes an outbreak in terms of infection control.

Nicola Sturgeon: The definition of an infection control outbreak is detailed in the Protocol for Surveillance Programme for Outbreaks of Healthcare Associated Infection guidelines which was published by Health Protection Scotland in 2005. This protocol is supported by the Watt Report Infection Control Outbreak/Episode Risk Matrix which sets out how outbreaks should be categorised.

Justice

Keith Brown (Ochil) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people are undertaking community service sentences, broken down by local authority area.

Fergus Ewing: The numbers of young people undertaking community service sentences at any one time is not held centrally. The following table details the number of young people who were sentenced to community service orders in 2006-07, the latest year for which data is available.

  Persons Aged Under 18 Sentenced to Community Service Orders (where this was the Main Penalty) in Scottish Courts by Approximate Local Authority Area1, 2006-07

  

 Local Authority
 2006-07


 Aberdeen City 
 14


 Aberdeenshire 
 2


 Angus 
 15


 Argyll and Bute 
 3


 Clackmannanshire 
 5


 Dumfries and Galloway
 34


 Dundee City 
 30


 East Ayrshire 
 58


 East Dunbartonshire 
 -


 East Lothian 
 11


 East Renfrewshire 
 -


 Edinburgh, City of 
 55


 Eilean Siar 
 4


 Falkirk 
 13


 Fife 
 31


 Glasgow City 
 77


 Highland 
 33


 Inverclyde 
 8


 Midlothian 
 -


 Moray 
 11


 North Ayrshire
 -


 North Lanarkshire 
 23


 Orkney Islands 
 4


 Perth and Kinross 
 10


 Renfrewshire 
 22


 Scottish Borders 
 16


 Shetland Islands 
 -


 South Ayrshire 
 9


 South Lanarkshire 
 32


 Stirling 
 12


 West Dunbartonshire
 13


 West Lothian 
 7


 High Court
 3


 Scotland
 555



  Note: 1. Incorporates an approximate mapping of sheriff courts into local authority areas. Some sheriff courts will deal with cases from more than one local authority area. Some local authority areas, including East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian and North Ayrshire, do not contain a sheriff court.

Justice

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many judges and sheriffs appointed since May 2007 were educated principally at private schools.

Kenny MacAskill: The schools attended by applicants is not information that is required to be provided on application for judicial office and is a matter for the individuals concerned.

  The information requested is not held centrally.

Mental Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, following publication of the report of the recent investigation by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, Wrong place, Wrong time , whether it will urgently review the operation of adolescent mental health services across Scotland to ensure a consistent approach to the care and treatment of 16 and 17-year-olds.

Shona Robison: I welcome the commission’s continued attention to child and young people’s mental health services and share the ambition for consistency of approach.

  Working with NHS boards and other partners we continue to address and progress the recommendations made in The Mental Health of Children and Young People Framework for Promotion, Prevention and Care (Bib. number 38415). Full delivery will ensure equity of access across Scotland to services designed to meet the particular prevention, care, transition and recovery needs of children and adolescents.

NHS Staff

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individual employees in each NHS board are awaiting resolution of Agenda for Change pay rates.

Nicola Sturgeon: In order to fully assimilate staff to the Agenda for Change pay system they must first of all go through the job evaluation process to determine which pay band they should be on. Payroll departments must then place them on that pay band: then assess for, and pay, any arrears which may be due dating back to October 2004 when Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions became effective.

  Those substantive staff not yet on the new system are largely individuals for whom more work has been required to establish the correct pay band. This is a relatively small number and all NHS boards are working to a timetable of having substantive staff assimilated by the end of the year. Bank staff are being left till the end of the process in most board areas and it is anticipated that they can be assimilated relatively quickly after substantive staff are complete.

  The latest available figures on assimilation and payment of arrears are from the end of October 2008. The following table shows the number of substantive staff still to be assimilated, the number of bank staff still to be assimilated and the number of staff who have been assimilated but are still waiting for payment of arrears. The figures are broken down by health board.

  

 Health Board
 Substantive Staff Still to be Assimilated
 Bank Staff Still to be Assimilated
 All Assimilated Staff who are Still to be Paid Arrears


 NHS Ayr and Arran
 219
 105
 3


 NHS Borders
 1
 1
 22


 NHS Dumfries
 18
 1
 0


 NHS Fife
 0
 180
 21


 NHS Forth Valley
 182
 148
 147


 NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 381
 6,196
 2,689


 NHS Grampian
 93
 3,457
 2,791


 NHS Highland
 318
 614
 83


 NHS Lanarkshire
 18
 112
 2,036


 NHS Lothian
 472
 213
 46


 NHS Tayside
 68
 1,022
 213


 NHS Orkney
 0
 0
 0


 NHS Shetland
 9
 381
 1


 NHS Western Isles
 7
 78
 2


 Scottish Ambulance Service
 0
 0
 0


 NHS National Services Scotland
 32
 0
 176


 NHS Education Scotland
 1
 0
 1


 NHS Quality Improvement Scotland
 1
 0
 0


 NHS Health Scotland
 0
 0
 0


 NHS 24
 0
 0
 0


 Golden Jubilee
 35
 88
 42


 State Hospital
 136
 2
 1


 Totals
 1,991
 12,598
 8,274

People with Learning Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many single outcome agreements make reference to learning disability.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government expects single outcome agreements to reflect the expectations of all people in receipt of services including those with learning disabilities. Specific reference to learning disability is made in 19 single outcome agreements.

People with Learning Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what outcomes for people with learning disabilities were set out in single outcome agreements, broken down by local authority.

Nicola Sturgeon: Learning disability is mentioned in the single outcome agreements in the context of the provision of care and support services, accommodation, employability, independent living, children and young people, obesity, personal life plans and pregnancy services.

  In relation to community care, 10 local authorities have included Indicator 29 in their single outcome agreements, which is to increase the proportion of people needing care or support who are able to sustain an independent quality of life as part of the community, through effective joint working.

Renewable Energy

Lewis Macdonald (Aberdeen Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3O-4712 by Jim Mather on 6 November 2008, whether it will list the (a) 13 consented renewable energy projects in the north of Scotland awaiting connection to the grid and (b) dates on which consents were granted.

Jim Mather: A list of the (a) 13 consented renewable energy projects in the north of Scotland awaiting connection to the grid and (b) dates on which consents were granted, are given in the following table.

  

 (a) Renewable Energy Project
 Capacity (MW)
 (b) Date of Consent


 A'Chruach, 
 50
 May 2008


 Ark Hill, 
 12
 Awaiting "consent proper"


 Beinn an Tuirc II, 
 38
 13 July 2007


 Drummuir, 
 48.3
 May 2005


 Edinbane, 
 42.8
 16 May 2007


 Fasnakyle, 
 7.5
 30 March 2004


 Glendoe,1
 48.5
 4 May 2004


 Lochelbank, 
 12
 8 August 2007


 Mid Hill, 
 75
 25 January 2008


 Novar 2, 
 32
 20 June 2005


 Rosehall, 
 28.5
 19 November 2007


 Stacain, 
 42.5
 Now at Inquiry


 Tullo, 
 13.5
 July 2005


 Total Projects (13)
 451
 



  Note: 1. 51.5 MW currently connected to Grid.

Scottish Government Cabinet

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the committees and sub-committees of the Cabinet and the membership of each.

Bruce Crawford: Information relating to current Cabinet sub-committees is available on the Scottish Government website and can be accessed using the following link:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/14944/CabinetSub-Committees.

Scottish Government Cabinet

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the dates of meetings of the committees and sub-committees of the Cabinet since May 2007.

Bruce Crawford: Information relating to current Cabinet Sub-Committees, including meeting dates, is available on the Scottish Government website and can be accessed using the following link:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/14944/CabinetSub-Committees.

Student Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has an updated estimate of the SAAS Eligibility efficiency saving outlined in the Efficiency Delivery Plans - May 2008, for the 2008-11 Efficiency Programme document, in light of any changes to estimated cost of living and inflation.

Fiona Hyslop: These efficiency savings have not been changed.

  Each year, SAAS produce forward estimates of potential bursary demand, primarily based on projected student numbers but also considering recent trends in uptake and likely eligibility for awards, to ensure that budgets are as close as possible to demand each year.

  These budgets are monitored continually through the year and all efficiency plans are reviewed formally on a quarterly basis. We will be better placed to consider whether these plans need to change further when the final spend, earnings and inflation are known for financial year 2008-09.